Content Categorized with "Presidential Nominations Reform"
1 - 10 of 44 results
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Rule Breaker: The Florida Republican Primary, Winner-Take-All Allocation, and the Undoing of American Democracy
- Posted: February 2, 2012
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin
- Categories: Home, Presidential Nominations Reform
When it comes to presidential elections, Florida has a penchant for controversy. The latest example comes via the 2012 GOP nomination battle: the Sunshine State has caused waves by violating RNC rules barring the use of winner-take-all allocation of delegates in pre-April contests. Winner-take-all is a highly undemocratic, broken system that marginalizes voters and shortchanges the primary process, and the GOP must prevent other states from following Florida's example.
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South Carolina voters better enjoy it while it lasts
- Posted: January 20, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie, Katie P. Kelly
- Categories: Home, National Popular Vote, Presidential Nominations Reform
With the South Carolina primary just around the corner on Saturday, the preferences of South Carolina voters are of intense interest to the nation -and of course to the candidates swarming the states. Events, polls, debates and the media are all focused on South Carolina voters. But after Saturday? Forget it.
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RCV for the GOP: Mitt Romney, Fractured Conservatives, and the Importance of Rules in Determining Election Outcomes
- Posted: January 20, 2012
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, Presidential Nominations Reform
Some conservatives wonder how Mitt Romney has become the favorite for the nomination in a Republican party moving rightward. Others embrace Romney. One problem for believers of both views is the plurality voting rule that means winners don't have to secure a majority. Plurality voting arguably has been negative for all parties involved in the nomination race—whether Romney or his more conservative challengers. The solution, FairVote argues, lies in the adoption of an alternative framework: ranked choice voting.
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South Carolina Primary: One Candidate May Easily Win All Delegates
- Posted: January 20, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie, Elise Helgesen
- Categories: Home, Proportional Voting, Presidential Nominations Reform
South Carolina's primary is on the horizon. Though the state has not played by the rules - and has been penalized by the Republican National Committee - the primary promises to be an exciting one. South Carolina's system of delegate allocation may potentially award all of the state's delegates, as well as a much-needed upswing in momentum, to the winning candidate as the race continues on toward Florida.
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Democracy Lost: the Iowa Caucus, the New Hampshire Primary, and the Shortchanging of American Presidential Politics
- Posted: January 10, 2012
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin
- Categories: Home, Presidential Nominations Reform
Although balloting in the 2012 Republican nomination battle has just begun, the race already appears to be over after just two contests: Iowa and New Hampshire. Such a result, in which the vast majority of the nation's voters are reduced to irrelevancy by an abbreviated primary process, is the newest chapter in a disturbing narrative of democratic ideals lost. Unlike most commentators, FairVote examines the preeminence of Iowa and New Hampshire with a critical eye, asking why two states with a combined 1.4% of the national population should possess a stranglehold on American presidential politics.
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The Role of Proportional Representation in the New Hampshire Primary
- Posted: January 10, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie, Elise Helgesen
- Categories: Home, Presidential Nominations Reform
Today New Hampshire will hold its primary. New Hampshire's 12 delegates are up for grabs. These delegates will be allocated proportionately, and not by a winner-take-all system of allocation.
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Understanding how the Iowa caucuses work – and don’t work
- Posted: January 3, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: Home, Instant Runoff Voting, Presidential Nominations Reform
The national media is in a frenzy about the Republican contest in tonight’s Iowa caucuses. Unfortunately, most journalists seem to be getting the story wrong – and a key reason is not understanding or even thinking about the rules and their implications.
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Debate Exclusion Harms Voters
- Posted: June 23, 2011
- Author(s): Will Hix
- Categories: Research & Analysis, Presidential Nominations Reform
The election of capable candidates is arguably the most direct impact that the citizenry can have in this process. Voters rely on the media to create accurate portrayals of each candidate and present a fair opportunity for credible candidates to make their case to their constituents. CNN failed to provide voters the opportunity to evaluate Governor Johnson, instead relying on opinion polls of dubious importance.
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Democrats to Shepherd States in Primaries?
- Posted: January 13, 2010
- Author(s): Paul Fidalgo
- Categories: Home, FairVote, Presidential Nominations Reform
A new interview reveals that the DNC Change Commission is recommending that presidential primaries go regional.
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Super No More
- Posted: January 7, 2010
- Author(s): Paul Fidalgo
- Categories: Home, FairVote, Presidential Nominations Reform
The Democratic National Committee's Change Commission, charged with finding ways to improve and reform the party's presidential nomination process, has released its recommendations, and while they are not nearly as sweeping as we would prefer, there is one particular change that will further democratize the process--should the party adopt the recommendations.